Richard and his Angel
by Cuthbert72
Summary: This is basically a 'K' rated story comprising chapters 8 to 11 of 'Gavin', slightly modified, which form a self-contained narrative telling how Rich finally gets together with his 'Angel of Death' and finds something to believe in.
1. Chapter 1: A Fortunate Encounter

**Chapter 1: A Fortunate Encounter**

Following the 'gang's' eventful holiday in Morocco, the promising relationship between Rich and Grace had come to an end. However, he did not have time to dwell on how this had happened, as his father, Kevin had made other plans for the last two weeks of the Summer break, an 'educational' journey to Europe.

Despite probably breaking up with his beautiful girlfriend, Grace, Rich was actually enjoying the first week of this 'educational' holiday. As he was travelling with his parents, he was dressed fairly conventionally in sweaters, jeans and t-shirts. Today was expected to be the most serious day of his visit to Nürnburg. He was to go with his family to Zeppelinstraße, where the pre-war Nürnberg rallies were held, to learn about the rise and fall of the Third Reich and the associated holocaust. They caught an early tram to the venue. Since it was still early in the day, they decided to explore the local area before going into the Doku-Zentrum to experience the audio-visual displays, which explained the situation in inter-war Germany in whatever language was requested.

They started by walking slowly anti-clockwise round the lake. As they walked between the lake and the main building, Rich noticed a bright yellow plastic duck with a red bill floating near the bank.

"Do you think that's a Nazi duck?" he asked.

"That depends on whether it says 'Heil Hitler' instead of 'Quack'." said his father, chuckling.

This brief conversation was overheard by another small family group who were following close behind them. This consisted of an older teenage girl and her parents. The girl thought she half recognised Rich from the beginning of the previous year's Autumn term. She broke away from her parents and addressed Rich.

"Excuse me, I heard you speaking English, and I think I half recognise you." she said, "Do you, by any chance, go to Roundview College in Bristol?"

"Yes, I do." said Rich, "Should I know you?"

"That depends how good your memory is." said the girl, "I think you might be the boy I insulted in the library last October. Back then, you had long greasy hair, and you were dressed in a tatty looking leather jacket and jeans."

"I was that boy." said Rich, "If I remember correctly, I tried, rather clumsily, to ask you out, and received a tirade of insults for my pains. That hurt. It wasn't pleasant."

"I'm sorry if I upset you." said the girl, "I spoke without thinking. I just concluded from the way you'd dressed, that you were one of the uncouth, somewhat thick, biker lads I meet far too often."

"Thank you for that." said Rich, "I had also made an unthinking assumption about you. I had guessed, from your leather jacket that you might have been into heavy metal and death metal music. I referred to you as 'the angel of death'."

"You can't always judge a book by its cover." said the girl, "Although, as it happens, I do enjoy heavy metal music among other genres. Having said that, I suppose I had also prejudged you by your dress and appearance. Incidentally, when you gave me that 'nickname', you were unbelievably close to my real name. I'm Angela De'Ath. When we had that rather abrasive conversation last October, I didn't catch yours."

"I'm Richard Hardbeck," said Rich, "But all my friends call me Rich."

"Nice to meet you under better circumstances." said Angela, shaking hands with Rich, "What brings you to this corner of the world?"

"My dad wanted me to learn more about Germany in the years leading up to the Second World War." said Rich, "He felt that here would be a good place to start. Nürnburg is a very attractive little city, but it does have lots of evil associations with the Nazis. This place for one."

By this time, the two little family groups had reached the other side of the lake. Looking back across it, they couldn't help to be impressed by the architecture and setting of what was to have been the building intended to house the Third Reich 'congress'. Walking this way, they would reach Hitler's old parade ground before reaching the saluting base. The intended National Socialist Party 'congress' building was looking impressive with its reflection in the millpond smooth lake. It's resemblance to the Coliseum in Rome was obvious from this viewpoint.

"Do you think the architect was thinking of the Roman Empire when he designed that?" asked Rich.

"I don't think you could see it any other way." said Angela, "It's unfinished, because the builders didn't get around to putting the roof on it. Anyway, let's go and see the parade ground before we go indoors. It's a nice morning."

Rich and Angela together with their parents made their way across the now grassy parade ground with its overgrown terraced seating to the saluting base on the Zeppelin Grandstand. The two young people were now leading with their parents in tow. They crossed the car park and started to climb the steps up to the central platform.

"You're not actually going to go up there, are you?" asked Anita, Rich's mother.

"Of course!" said Angela, "We just couldn't come here and not stand on that platform."

"Once a year, this is the grandstand for a minor motor racing circuit." said Kevin, Rich's father, "It's called the Norisring. They could have called it the Nürnburgring, but that might have proved confusing."

"That's a good use for a piece of redundant Nazi architecture." commented Rich.

"Of course, the swastikas and stone eagles were removed at the end of the war." said Kevin.

The two small families, all six people, assembled on the platform where Hitler had made his rabble-rousing speeches in the thirties. They surveyed the parade ground, which is now a large lawn. Angela got to wondering where Rich and his parents were going after Nürnburg.

"Rich," said Angela, "Where are you going after Nürnburg?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," said Rich, "But dad did say something about Krakow in Poland. We're leaving on Saturday."

"Yes." interjected Kevin, "We're going there to see the really unsavoury side of the Nazi regime."

"That's a happy coincidence." said Angela, "We're going on the same day. When are you visiting Auschwitz? We're going there on Tuesday."

"It seems you know more about your itinerary than I do about ours." said Rich.

"I suppose I'd better put you in the picture." said Kevin, "We were trying to keep everything as a surprise, but it appears you've found a companion on a similar trip. Yes, on Saturday, we go to Krakow and I've also booked the excursion to Auschwitz-Birkenau next Tuesday."

"That's good!" said Angela, "Let's hope we're on the same coach."

Kevin confirmed with Angela's parents that both families were on the same basic itinerary. Surprisingly, they had not met before their encounter by the lake, as they were all staying in the same hotel near the city wall and quite near the railway station. Once they felt they had spent enough time on the Zeppelin Grandstand, Rich noticed a wurst stall on the other side of the car park. All six people enjoyed a currywurst snack before walking at a leisurely pace to the Doku-Zentrum, where they spent the rest of the afternoon experiencing the very instructive audio-visual displays as they circulated round the museum. After this, thoughts turned to the evening meal.

"There's a bier Keller about a third of the way from the hotel to the central square." said Anton, Angela's Father, "I've been there before. There are a whole lot of British pub signs hanging from the ceiling. It's in the bottom floor of an old market building. I think it's called 'Barfüßer'. Incidentally, they brew their own beer."

"I think that settles it." said Kevin "It'll probably be a bit crowded in the evening, but it's worth a try."

"They've got a very wide menu of mainly Bavarian food." said Anton, "Last time I was there, I had Wiener Schnitzel with warm potato salad. It was delicious. The service might be a little slow but the food is worth waiting for."

The group Made their way back to the tram stop and returned to the centre of Nürnburg. During this journey, Angela felt that it would be a good idea to set things right between herself and Rich. They sat next to each other.

"I can only sincerely apologise to you for the way I misjudged you last time we met." said Angela, "I'd had a stressful morning and I'm sorry. I took my frustrations out on the nearest target. At that moment, that was you."

"There's no need to apologise again." said Rich, "I've already forgiven you for that. In any case, I was partly to blame because of my clumsy approach."

"Don't beat yourself up about it." said Angela, "Let's let bygones be bygones and be friends."

"That's okay by me." said Rich, "When we were talking earlier, you said you liked metal music among other genres. What kind of music do you really love?"

"I'd have to give that a bit of thought," said Angela, "But, if I was put on the spot, I would say my favourite taste in music is split fifty-fifty between progressive rock and all types of classical music. I particularly like the Swedish group 'Europe'. You'd probably like some of their early tracks. You'd enjoy 'Scream of Anger'. There's a lot more to them than 'The Final Countdown'."

"For a fraction of a second, when you said 'Swedish' I thought you were about to say 'ABBA'. said Rich, "Although I suppose they're pop rather than rock. Who else do you like?"

"Recently, I've been collecting CDs by Yes, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd." said Angela, "I've just caught up with them after a season of only listening to classical music."

"What kind of classical music?" asked Rich, "Thanks to Grace, I've come to appreciate ballet, but I don't know a great amount about other types. However, I did listen to classical music before I became a teenager. However, I do like the sound of a church organ. I always have, since I was a little boy."

"I suppose I appreciate the whole gamut of classical music." said Angela, "Basically from Vivaldi to Varese and everything in between. I also love literature and reading books, hence my volunteering to assist in the college library. Do you read at all?"

"When I have time, I do," said Rich, "But recently, college work has taken precedence over reading for pleasure."

"I know the feeling." sighed Angela, "It's lovely to be out here away from it all, although we are here to learn about inter-war Germany."

"I don't know about you," said Rich, "But I'm looking forward to having an evening meal in a proper bier keller."

"Try not to get drunk." said Angela.

"That's exactly what Gavin said when he heard where I was going." said Rich.

"Who's Gavin?" asked Angela.

"He's that good-looking muscular guy who joined our group half way through the Autumn term." said Rich, "He became captain of the first fifteen rugby team after Nick Levan resigned."

"Do I detect a note of bitterness in your voice?" said Angela.

"Does it show?" remarked Rich, "You're very perceptive as well as being intelligent and beautiful. Yes, I do feel uncomfortable when he's around. You may have heard that our little group of friends went to Morocco a few weeks ago. On the last evening I got royally drunk. I nursed a hangover for most of the next day. I more or less slept through the flight home. Grace, who I had thought was my girlfriend, had a long, probably heart-to-heart conversation with Gavin for the whole of the flight home. From what I overheard of their conversation in moments of semi-wakefulness, I got the distinct impression that I was losing her to Gavin. I've no doubt he's getting to know her better while I'm out here."

"Don't take it too hard, Rich." said Angela, as she put her arm across Rich's shoulders, "These things do happen. I know it's early days, but the way things are going between us since we met by the lake, you might have to explain me to Grace."

"It sounds as if you really mean that." said Rich, "I don't admit to my feelings very often, but I've got the same feeling about you, despite the nature of our first encounter. I'm surprised, but I'm enjoying our time together. Anyway, we've reached Nürnburg. It's time to walk back to the hotel."

After leaving the tram and strolling back to their hotel, they got ready for the evening and met in the foyer. The short walk to the bier Keller was spent comparing notes about their individual programmes for this educational 'holiday'. Barfüßer didn't disappoint. Following Anton's recommendation, both Angela and Rich chose the Wiener schnitzel and thoroughly enjoyed it. The warm potato salad proved particularly delicious. It was becoming obvious to both sets of parents that their offspring were beginning to form a firm friendship, despite what had happened at their first meeting several months earlier. They felt that it would be a good idea if they co-ordinated the parts of the holiday that hadn't already been pre-booked. These included further exploration of Nürnburg and, since Angela's parents were Catholics, visits to various religious sites in the Krakow area including Wadowice and a whole day trip to the Black Madonna shrine at Częstochowa. They would attend Sunday Mass together in the Catholic cathedral in Krakow, as this was a good way of seeing the interior without having to pay the admission fee.

Feeling satisfied after their meal, the two families strolled round central Nürnburg for a while before returning to the hotel for the night.

"Tomorrow morning," said Rich, "Would you like to come down to the Frauenkirche, getting there just as it opens at eight o'clock?"

"I'd love to!" said a surprised Angela, "Why do you suddenly actually want to visit a Catholic church?"

"A friend, who has been here before," said Rich, "Said that organists often go there to practice first thing in the morning. It must have quite a good organ."

"It does." said Anton, "It's a Johannes Kleis instrument built in 1988. Do you want an early or a late breakfast?"

The group decided to have a light, late breakfast in the hotel after their children's visit to the church, since the next day's plans presented plenty of opportunities for snacking.


	2. Chapter 2: Organs and Munich

**Chapter 2: Organs and Munich**

As they had already agreed, the next morning, Angela met Rich in the foyer of the hotel at a quarter to eight. The pair strolled down the hill to the Hauptmarkt. On the way there, they passed St Lorenz, one of the two large Lutheran churches in the city. They reached the Frauenkirche just as the doors opened at eight o'clock. On entering the building, Angela genuflected towards the tabernacle and made the sign of the cross before selecting a seat close enough to the organ console for her to read the titles on the sheet music. Rich joined her. Just as Grace had mentioned, there was a young organist making himself comfortable at the console and selecting the stops and combinations he wanted to use. A second organist was sitting nearby and awaiting his turn. Rich and Angela didn't know it, but they were in for a treat. They were about to hear some exceptional performances. The two organists this morning were among the best that Bavaria had to offer.

After 'warming up' with a Bach fugue, the player already at the console gave a stirring performance of Boellmann's toccata. Being a French toccata, the main melody was thundered out on the pedals.

"That was quite something." whispered Rich, "I don't think I've heard that one before, but I loved it. It was like a ride to the abyss of hell."

"You sound as if you're describing a piece of heavy metal music." said Angela, "Having said that, it did have that feel about it."

The player made a few adjustments and then launched into a piece unfamiliar to either Rich or Angela; Mulet's spectacular 'Tu Es Petra'. This was even more 'heavy metal' than the Boellmann. Both Rich and Angela were smiling by this time. This was an unusual feeling for them to have in a church, where solemnity was usually the order of the day. They were both excited and stimulated by the music. Once he had finished the Mulet, the first organist vacated the console and the second player took over. He started with the finale of Vierne's second organ symphony. What followed, once the combinations and stops had been readjusted was truly breath-taking. The organist let rip with a virtuoso performance of the well-known Widor toccata. He did not hold back on the pedals. He set a blistering tempo, but somehow managed to get some expression into the key changes near the end of the piece. This performance of the Widor drew a round of applause from the twenty or so people present in the church at that time of the morning. He then entertained the increasing audience in the church, by playing both the E flat and B flat sorties by Lefebre-Wely. After this. The first organist returned and played a toccata that neither Rich nor Angela had heard. That by Theodore Dubois. By this time, it was nearly a quarter to nine, so the pair regretfully vacated the church and headed back to the hotel for their nine o'clock breakfast.

"The Widor taken at that fast tempo was really exciting," said Angela, "But what we all forget is that, although it was performed at a couple of royal weddings, it was written for a funeral. Did you enjoy the music? I certainly did. Thank you for telling me about it."

"I loved it!" said Rich, "It's good to hear a large organ being driven hard. I do take your point about the funeral. My CD of that toccata is a free one from a magazine cover. The organist, David Briggs, does take it a lot slower. It lasts over six minutes. It still sounds exciting but it's even more expressive at the slower tempo. Did you like the two pieces that followed the Widor?"

"I did." said Angela, "Although they sounded more Wurlitzer than Cavaillé-Coll. They were both quite light-hearted. Having said that, the composer was the principal organist at Saint-Sulpice in Paris from 1863 until 1869. I expect he wanted to send the congregation out with smiles on their faces after the solemnity of the mass."

Rich and Angela made their way back to the hotel, spending the whole time discussing the impromptu organ recital they had just heard. They felt they were lucky to have heard eight such outstanding performances just on the off chance of hearing someone practicing on the organ. Their parents hadn't been idle while they were in the church. Kevin had walked across to the railway station and found out about something called the 'Bayerntickett'. This was in effect a one-day rover ticket giving freedom of all the railways in Bavaria and the urban transportation networks of the larger cities, such as Augsburg and München. Both sets of parents met Rich and Angela in the foyer as they returned.

"Did you enjoy the music?" asked Diane, Angela's mother.

"It was truly amazing." said Angela.

"Four spectacular French toccatas." said Rich, smiling, "What are we doing after breakfast?"

"There's been a change of plan." said Kevin, "After breakfast, we're all going to have a day trip to Munich, or München as the Germans call it."

"How are we getting there?" asked Rich, "The train fare for all six of us would cost a king's ransom."

"In Britain, it would." said Kevin, "But this is Germany. They've got a different view about the affordability of public transport out here. Rail fares here are relatively cheap, and we're getting tickets which not only allow travel all over Bavaria, but will give us freedom to use the buses, the S-bahn and the U-bahn in Munich. They cost less than the day return fare to Munich. The only restriction is that we can't use the inter-city express to get there, but I believe the regional expresses are still quite fast."

"They are." said Anton, "The only difference is that they make more stops."

After their quick continental breakfast, the group crossed over to the Nürnburg Hauptbahnhof and obtained their tickets. They boarded the next regional express to München.

The journey passed pleasantly. Rich was in conversation with Angela for most of the journey. At one point, he remarked that these regional expresses would not be much slower than the inter-city express. The weather was sunny and particularly clear and, when the train was not heading directly towards München, the Alps could be seen in the distance. Less than two hours after leaving Nürnburg, they had arrived at the Hauptbahnhof in München. By this time, lunchtime was approaching, but because they had eaten a late breakfast, the need for food wasn't urgent. They spent about an hour, wandering around the sights of the city centre, spending some time in the München Frauenkirche with its twin towers capped with onion domes. After about an hour, they happened upon the Hofbrauhaus beer hall. On looking inside, they realised they had made the basic mistake of arriving at a popular restaurant at lunchtime. They decided on a smaller, less crowded place nearby. Once they had settled down and enjoyed a light lunch with some local beer, Anton made a comment.

"I think you lot have just had a lucky escape." he said, "The reports on various websites about that last place aren't good at all. We've nearly finished. Judging by some of the comments, we'd still be waiting to be noticed in the big beer hall."

"I suppose that would be the penalty of arriving there at lunchtime." said Rich.

Once they had satisfied themselves with lunch, they made their way out to the Nymphenburg Palace and explored that for a while before visiting the English Garden.

"It's a pity we're not here later in the month." said Anton.

"Why is that?" asked Kevin.

"We'd be going to the Oktoberfest." said Anton, "It's the World's biggest beer festival. You can enjoy plentiful good German food and beer by the litre while being serenaded by a real German 'oom-pah' band."

"I guess you've been here at that time of the year." said Kevin.

"I certainly have." said Anton, "It has a unique atmosphere. All the major German brewers have huge tents which, for the period of the festival, are in effect, canvas covered beer halls. There is a traditional German brass band playing in each one. There are also displays of immaculately turned out dray horses. There's also a little theme park with roller coasters and other rides. The surprising thing is that I didn't see anyone getting catastrophically drunk, although so much beer was readily available. I suppose the people there were having plenty of food with their alcohol. In any case, the German attitude to drinking seems a lot different to what it is in England. They drink to enjoy the flavour, not just to get drunk. Incidentally, you two young people have been remarkably quiet. You were talking nineteen to the dozen on the train."

"We're just enjoying each other's presence." said Angela, smiling, "It's nice knowing that the someone who's holding my hand really cares about me."

"I couldn't have put it better myself." said Rich, "When we were talking on the train, I realised that we had more in common than I thought possible. It's so lovely getting to know your Angela."

"That's a nice thing to say about me." said Angela, "The more I talk with you, the more I realise how badly I misjudged you last October. I still feel I ought to apologise again for that."

"There's no need for that." said Rich, "You already have - several times. In any case, I've already forgiven you, so let's let it disappear into our past."

As they entered the English Garden, Angela decided to further probe Rich's tastes in music outside heavy metal.

"When we were on the train," said Angela, "You were explaining the appeal of heavy metal music, but what kind of music were you into before you discovered 'Napalm Death' and other groups?"

"Oddly enough, and I don't really expect you to believe this," said Rich, "Although I didn't know much about it, I really loved the more serious side of classical music. I started exploring beyond Beethoven and Tchaikovsky before I became a teenager."

"What do you mean by the 'more serious' side of classical music?" asked Angela.

"I discovered composers like Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss, for instance." said Rich, "Their music is so expressive, and it uses the full resources of a modern symphony orchestra."

"I guess the sheer volume of sound also appealed." said Angela.

"There was that," said Rich, "But Mahler's eighth symphony, although it requires well over five hundred performers, has several intimate sounding parts which come close to chamber music."

"You like choral music, then." said Angela.

"It'll take me some time before I can appreciate things like 'Messiah' or Bach cantatas," said Rich, "But I love some of the nineteenth century arrangements of the Catholic Requiem Mass, particularly the 'Dies Irae' settings, describing the day of judgement at the end of the world."

"I would surmise that the Verdi 'Dies Irae' was your gateway into heavy metal." said Angela.

"And you would surmise correctly." said Rich, "You seem to be able to find out things about me that I've resisted being asked about in the past."

"Why didn't you like to be asked?" asked Angela.

"Probably because at my age," said Rich, "It was so totally uncool to admit to liking that kind of music. When I was about twelve, my folks took me to London to hear Berlioz's 'Grande Messe des Morts' in the Royal Albert Hall. It was so overwhelming. The sheer volume of sound when all the brass entered was immense. That's when I fell in love with that kind of music, but when I became an 'older', teenager, I felt I had to ignore my love for classical music to 'fit in'. The trouble is, I then discovered heavy metal, which, of course, was even more out of phase with my peers' tastes. Also, I suppose school work was taking time, and I no longer had time slots long enough to listen to, for instance, an opera or a Mahler symphony."

"What are your interests outside music?" asked Angela.

"I like reading books, or at least I used to," said Rich, "But again, school work tended to intrude into the time available. Obviously, I was weaned on Beatrix Potter and Thomas the Tank Engine. I think most English children are, but then I discovered non-fiction and buried myself in science books for a while."

"Did your folks traumatise you with 'Watership Down'?" asked Angela.

"I did read it." said Rich, "I quite enjoyed it. I know there's tragedy there, but that's life - and nature."

"It frightened me." said Angela, "But I suppose, being a boy, you reacted to it in a different way. Before time pressures intervened, did you manage to read Tolkien's books?"

"I started with 'The Hobbit, then tackled 'The Lord of the Rings'." said Rich, "I got some of the way through 'The Silmarillion' but didn't progress any further."

"I think that's quite usual." said Angela, "The last boy I asked that question didn't even know who Tolkien was and wondered what I was talking about. You're different. You seem intelligent and quite well read. I think there's a lot more to you than I'd thought. It's so pleasant talking with you. I'm so glad we've met properly at last "

"So am I!" said Rich, "I had a few trepidations yesterday, when I realised who you were, but I find you easy to talk with and culturally, we seem to talk the same language, and you certainly seem to be able to get me talking. I've told you things about my tastes in music that I hadn't even admitted to Grace."

"Well, both of you are English." interjected Kevin, chuckling, "Did Rich tell you about the time, when he was about fourteen, he borrowed 'War and Peace' from the library and read it in three weeks, cover to cover?"

"I didn't think to ask him if he'd even read it." said Angela.

"I'd just finished the whole 'Harry Potter' saga and took it on as a challenge." said Rich, "Everyone tells me it's a very long book, but it's about the same as 'The Hobbit' plus 'The Lord of the Rings' and a lot shorter than the whole of 'Harry Potter'. The settings in Czarist Russia in the early nineteenth century made me want to go there sometime."

"Perhaps you could go there in the gap between college and, hopefully, Cambridge University." said Kevin, "The way you two seem to be getting on with each other, perhaps you'd like to take your new friend."

"The way things are going," said Rich, "That's not beyond the bounds of possibility."

"Didn't you already have a girlfriend?" said Kevin, "What's happened with Grace?"

"To cut a long story short," said Rich, "There's this new guy, Gavin. He came from South Wales in November. He came to Morocco with us and spent the whole three hours of the flight back home in deep conversation with Grace, while I slept off the results of the previous evening's drinking. I haven't seen Grace since the flight. I wouldn't be surprised if Gavin's been making the most of the situation. When we get back to Bristol, I expect she'll probably want to explain that she's moving on."

"And I think that you are almost certainly going to have to explain our rapidly growing relationship with me to Grace." said Angela, "The more I talk with you, the more I want us to be a couple."

With this remark, Angela embraced Rich and kissed him on both cheeks.

"That was unexpected!" said Rich, "However, I did like it - a lot."

"I thought you would." said Angela, with a big smile on her face, "It seemed appropriate - and natural."

The two families spent a little more time exploring central Munich until it was time to catch the train back to Nürnburg. Rich, by now had accepted that there was little he could do regarding his relationship with Grace. He had also realised that his new acquaintance with the girl he had earlier called the 'Angel of Death' was rapidly developing into something a lot more significant than mere friendship. He resolved to do something rather unusual and 'old fashioned' in these days of electronic communication. Before he left Nürnburg for Krakow, he would send a cryptic postcard to Alo, his best friend, hoping it arrived back in Bristol before he did. On it, he would write a very short message: 'I have met the 'Angel of Death' and she's a really sweet and understanding girl. We visit Auschwitz next Tuesday'.

He posted the card the next day. If it arrived before he did, he surmised, it would make things easier for Grace, when she had to tell him she'd formed a relationship with Gavin, as he assumed she probably had.


	3. Chapter 3: Krakow, Auschwitz and J P 2

**Chapter 3: Krakow, Auschwitz and John Paul II**

On the Saturday following their day trip to Munich, the two families were once again on a train towards that city. They were headed for the airport for the short flight to Krakow, where they would be spending the second week of their visit to Europe. Rich was looking forward to the second week of the 'holiday' with mixed feelings as he knew that Angela and her parents were going to visit several Catholic shrines and pilgrimage destinations while in Krakow. He also realised Angela would anticipate that he would join her if their new relationship was going to mean anything. During the flight, Rich brought up the subject of 'pilgrimage' destinations with Angela.

"When we're in Krakow," ventured Rich, "Will you be expecting me to visit some of the Catholic places in and around that city with you?"

"I'm not going to insist that you do," said Angela, "But it would be so lovely if you did. You may not realise it, but even Auschwitz was the site of a saint's martyrdom."

"Oh?" queried Rich, "Who was that?"

"Maximilian Kolbe was an inmate at Auschwitz-Berkenau." said Angela, "He was a Franciscan friar. In 1941, he substituted himself for another prisoner to save the other man's life. He was declared a saint in 1982."

"Okay, I'll come along, as long as my parents don't mind." said Rich, "I'll approach the spiritual places with an open mind."

"That's settled then." said Angela, "That makes me happy. So, you're okay about visiting Saint Faustina's convent on Monday morning. I do know dad's going to book a tour of Nowa Huta in the afternoon for all of us."

"What's Nowa Huta?" asked Rich.

"It's a 'model' communist style housing estate on the outskirts of Krakow." said Angela, "Dad tells me that if it is still running, we'll be taken there in a minibus built in Poland when it was still behind the Iron Curtain. There's also a rather interesting Catholic Church there, which represents a ship."

"How did that get to be built under Communist rule?" asked Rich, "I thought the Communists were atheists."

"I suppose sheer dogged determination." said Angela, "There were also some quite violent riots in Nowa Huta, protesting against the ban on building a church. The church itself is called 'The Lord's Ark'. The ship it represents, of course, is Noah's ark."

"How do you know all this?" asked Rich.

"Dad told me when he was 'selling' me the idea of visiting a Communist housing estate." said Angela, "It sounds as if it might be an interesting building."

"I think you've sold me on the idea now." said Rich, "One of my 'visual' interests is church architecture."

"It's one of mine as well." said Angela, "Judging from what I've seen on the internet, you'll also like the Basilica of the Divine Mercy, that houses St Faustina's remains."

This conversation continued for most of the rest of the flight. Rich and Angela spent the time learning even more about each other's interests. Once they had touched down at Krakow Airport, they lost no time getting themselves through the landing formalities and finding a taxi to their hotel. By the time they had checked in, located their rooms and made themselves comfortable, it was nearly time for dinner. They strolled into the city centre and were guided to a reasonably priced restaurant by Anton. On the way there they checked the Mass times at the main Catholic Church in the city centre, St Mary's Basilica. All the Masses there were in Polish, with the exception of the ten o'clock, which was in Latin. Angela asked whether any Krakow church held a mass in English.

"There is a church near Wawel Castle which used to hold an English Mass at ten thirty," said Anton, "But going there would defeat the object of attending a Mass at St Mary's, which is to see the interior of the building - without having to pay an entrance fee for the privilege. I guess most of us have had a smattering of Latin."

"I can understand most of the sung parts of the Mass from my interest in classical choral music." said Rich, "I also studied Latin to GCSE level at the school I was at before Roundview, so I might be able to understand some of it."

"Before about 1972, the Mass was in Latin all over the world." said Anton, "Once you got to know the order, you could understand what was going on wherever on the globe you were."

"You seem quite happy about fitting in with our spiritual activities in around this city." said Angela.

"I am!" said Rich, "I think I'm going to be learning about more than twentieth century European history on this trip. Wasn't a recent Pope born somewhere near here?"

"Yes," said Angela, "Karol Wojtyla was born and spent his childhood in Wadowice long before he became Pope John Paul II. We're planning to go there on Wednesday. Would you like to come?"

"Of course I would," said Rich, "It should be quite an instructional trip. I think my parents, Kevin and Anita would probably like to come as well."

"Yes, we would." said Kevin, "Hopefully, it will raise our moods after spending the first part of Tuesday touring Nazi death camps. It will be a relief to come closer to God after our visit to Hell."

"That's settled then." said Anton, "After tomorrow's Mass, I'll find a booking agent and we can plan out the rest of the week. Monday morning and Tuesday are taken care of. We've just planned Wednesday. Would you like to join us on the trip to the Black Madonna shrine at Częstochowa? We're thinking of going there on Friday. It's another whole day trip. We can spend Thursday in and around central Krakow and explore Wawel Castle and the Jewish quarter. I believe there's a guided tour of that."

"Yes, we'd love to." said Kevin, "Provided the agent has spaces on those excursions, that's the week sorted."

The next day, which was Sunday, all six travellers made their way to St Mary's Basilica in Krakow's central square after a leisurely breakfast, and attended the Latin Mass. After this, Anton located the booking agent and arranged not only the tours to Wadowice and Częstochowa, but also the following afternoon's trip to Nowa Huta. By the time this had been done, it was nearly lunchtime. The choice of restaurant for lunch was left to Anton as he had been to Krakow before and knew a few good places to eat. After a satisfying lunch, once they had found a booking agent and sorted the week's excursions, the group spent the rest of the day strolling around the centre of the city, browsing shop windows and enjoying the atmosphere of the city.

The next morning, as they had already decided, they visited the convent where Sister Faustina spent some of her last days before contracting tuberculosis and ending her earthly life in a sanatorium. They then made their way to the Basilica of the Divine Mercy, where her remains were buried. As expected, Rich was impressed by the unusual architecture of the basilica. He took the opportunity to send another postcard to Alo, this time from Krakow. It carried another slightly cryptic message about his developing relationship with Angela. After this mini pilgrimage and a quick lunch, the two families met the rep from 'Communist Tours' with his bright red Nisa people carrier. On the way there, the guide outlined the history of Nowa Huta and the 'need' for the Communist regime to build a Soviet style housing development in Southern Poland. This was long before the uprising by Lech Walesa and his shipyard workers in Gdansk. It reminded Angela about a small opera by Shostakovich called Cheryomushki, about a new, probably similar, housing estate in Moscow. The general opinion was that it was well laid out and designed, but somewhat soulless. After this, they visited the church at Nowa Huta. It has been designated 'The Church of the Lord's Ark', and, against the wishes of the authorities, was built brick by brick by the inhabitants of Nowa Huta. As Angela had mentioned, it was designed to represent Noah's Ark. Rich was impressed by its design and would go down in his mental catalogue of unusual churches. It would go with Liverpool and Clifton Catholic cathedrals, neither of which is exactly conventional. He had already made a mental note of the Basilica of Divine Mercy where, as already mentioned, Saint Faustina's mortal remains were laid to rest. After all the walking around various parts of Krakow on Monday, they were relieved that there would be three longish coach journeys the Next day during which they could relax in comfortable seats.

Tuesday dawned bright, sunny and warm, somewhat in contrast to the emotional atmosphere of the places the group were to visit. After an early breakfast they assembled in the hotel foyer to await their transport. After calling at a couple of other hotels, they were, at last, under way towards the village of Oświęcim, where the former death camp was situated. At one of the road junctions on the way there, Rich noticed a direction sign which indicated that Oświęcim was one way and Wadowice the other.

"One way to Heaven, the other to Hell on Earth." observed Rich.

"What prompted that remark?" asked Angela.

"That last sign said it was one way to where we're going, the other to Pope John Paul II's birthplace." said Rich, "Didn't you mention that Karol Wojtyla was born in Wadowice?"

"I did." said Angela, "Well remembered! We're going there tomorrow. It should be an interesting, and hopefully inspiring, day."

In due course, the coach arrived in Oświęcim, and was driven to the camp known as Auschwitz I. This was the first Auschwitz camp and is still largely intact. The whole coach party was shown round the various buildings and their original purpose was explained. Particularly affecting was the building containing thousands of shoes and other items belonging to people who had been exterminated when the camp was in use. Their final call at this camp was to the crematorium, where the remains of the victims were burned. Some time was spent in the museum before everyone boarded the coach for the short drive to Auschwitz II (Auschwitz-Birkenau).

This camp was very different from the original Auschwitz. For a start, very few of the huts were still standing. Running right into the site was a railway line, which was used to bring the, mainly Jewish, prisoners in goods wagons to the camp. Once they were through the entrance to the camp, they were shown round the guard house before being guided along the one-kilometre long railway platform. About half way along this platform, there was one of the railway wagons used to transport prisoners from all parts of Europe to Auschwitz. They stood around this wagon while the logistics of transporting the very large number of people to this location were explained. As they made their way further down the platform, the guide explained what happened when the arrival of the Russians was imminent at the end of the Second World War. They were shown the hastily demolished crematoria at the end of the railway line and the ponds where the ashes were dumped. The guide went on to say that 1.1 million people were executed at Auschwitz, one million of them being Jewish men, women and children. All the while the history and purpose of the camp was being explained, Angela's disposition was visibly changing. She had stopped smiling. By the time they reached the ash ponds, she was reaching for a tissue and wiping tears away. Rich noticed and gave her a reassuring cuddle.

"If it's any reassurance, I know how you feel." said Rich, "I know I'm a boy, and therefore emotionally 'thick', but I feel the same way. Those million Jews were human beings, just like you and me, with their own lives, hopes, ambitions and dreams, not just vermin to be eliminated at the whim of a mad dictator."

"I - I'm sorry. I just let the atmosphere of this place get to me." said Angela, still a bit tearful, "Thank you for being so understanding. To think of all those people just snuffed out and burned, and we almost walked on their ashes."

"Our feelings are nothing to be ashamed of." said Rich, "And I think it's at least part of the reason our folks brought us here. It's an important, but dark part of European history and does really demonstrate man's inhumanity to man in a very emotionally affecting way."

"I'm starting to believe that there's even more to you than I realised." said Angela, "This is a new side to you. You seem to be in tune with my feelings. This doesn't seem to the most appropriate venue to admit it, but I think I'm actually beginning to fall in love with you."

The coach party returned towards the entrance to the camp, where they were shown the interior of one of the surviving huts. Most of the others just consisted of the concrete bases and the brick chimneys. After this, they returned to the coach for the drive to the salt mine at Wieliczka. All were silent for some considerable time. For nearly all the journey, Rich held Angela's hand to reassure her.

"I think we all need cheering up after that." said Anton, "It looks as if both my Angela and your Richard were deeply touched by that experience. It's something they're not going to forget in a hurry. After our visit to the salt mine, we'll find dinner. I'm sure we'll be hungry by then. After that, I'll take you all to an Irish pub I know in the city centre."

"That's a perfect idea." said Kevin, "You do seem to know your way round Krakow."

"That's because I was based here for six months last year." said Anton, "While we're in the Irish pub, we can plan what we're going to do on Thursday. I'm quite sure you've all heard of Oskar Schindler."

As they made this decision, the coach had arrived at the Wieliczka salt mine. After a brief lunch, they spent the next couple of hours touring the mine, which has become a major tourist attraction. The beauty of the salt sculptures and the majesty of the underground chambers, especially the chapel did serve to dispel some of the gloom engendered by their Auschwitz visit.

"Well," said Kevin, as they emerged from the salt mine, "I think that's begun to put us back on an emotional even keel after the morning's activities. How are you two young ones feeling now? You were both looking rather gloomy earlier."

"We're a lot brighter now, thank you." said Angela, "I feel able to smile again. That salt mine was nothing like I had imagined."

The group boarded the coach back to Krakow feeling at least neutral. Dinner was the primary thought, as all of them were beginning to feel hungry. As was becoming customary, Anton came up trumps with a satisfying, and inexpensive, restaurant. Thus fortified, they made their way to the Irish pub Anton had recommended. It didn't disappoint. On this occasion, unusually, there was a ceilidh band performing, so they were serenaded by traditional Irish music for most of the evening. As already decided, they planned their Thursday activities over drinks at the pub. Before their visit to the castle, they would arrange for the guided tour of the Jewish quarter and Oskar Schindler's factory. By the time they were ready to leave, their mood was relatively light hearted. In short, the combination of cheerful Irish music and some alcohol had gone some way to evaporate their earlier morbid feelings. They returned to their hotel very tired after an eventful and thought-provoking day.

The next morning, again dawned bright, sunny and warm. They were to visit the birthplace of Karol Wojtyla, the Polish priest, who was to become Pope John Paul II. On the way back, they were to visit Kalwaria Zebrzydowska, the monastery where Karol Wojtyla spent many hours in prayer as a young cleric. As on the previous day, after breakfast, they waited for their transport, but with less apprehension than they had experienced on Tuesday. On the journey there, the guide pointed out some of the places of interest along the way. However, most of the journey was carried out in comparative silence.

"What are we expecting to see on this trip?" asked Kevin.

"We're going to visit several places in Wadowice that were associated with Karol Wojtyla," said Anton, "Including his parish church and his home. That house, right by the church is now a museum devoted to the life of Pope John Paul II."

"Will we be expected to hear a mass?" asked Kevin.

"Probably not in Wadowice," said Anton, "But last time I was on this trip, there were two happening at Kalwaria. You're welcome to sit in if you wish. However, I don't think there are any mid-afternoon masses at this time of the year."

"You're very quiet." said Angela, "You haven't said a word since we left Krakow."

"I suppose I am." said Rich, "I was thinking."

"What about?" asked Angela.

"I was thinking about our meeting next Monday with Gavin and Grace," said Rich, "And, I suppose, praying for a positive outcome. I just don't want anyone to be hurt, physically or emotionally. I think Alo and Mini will be joining us to keep the peace if the meeting does go pear shaped."

"I guess that depends on how well Gavin has been getting on with Grace." said Angela, "If, by the time we return, they are in a stable relationship, there should be no problem, because I'm really beginning to look on us two as a couple. It all depends on Gavin's temperament. If it's any reassurance to you, I don't think you've got anything to be worried about, so chill out, and don't fret."

Some time after passing the 'Heaven and Hell' road sign Rich had observed on Tuesday, they reached Wadowice. Once they had left the coach, they were escorted to the main square in front of the church, the Basilica of the Virgin Mary. Since the building was a place of worship, the places and statues within were explained before the party entered. After viewing the church interior, in reverent silence, the party assembled outside. The guide pointed out the sundial on the side of the building, which was right outside Karol Wojtyla's bedroom window when he lived here. The party was then ushered to the entrance to what was now the Pope John Paul II museum and issued with tickets. They were split into three smaller groups, each of which circulated round the museum with a local English-speaking guide. When they were in Karol Wojtyla's bedroom, the local guide pointed out the motto above the sundial on the side of the church. It read: 'CZAS UCIEKA WIECZNOŚĆ CZEKA', which when translated means 'Time flies. Eternity awaits'.

Following their visit to the museum, the entire group were taken to a café in the centre of Wadowice for a light lunch, after which they boarded the coach for the drive to Kalwaria. The prominence given to the Virgin Mary in the church, and also Monday's visit to the Basilica of Divine Mercy prompted Rich to ask a question which had been bugging him for some time.

"I can understand you praying to Jesus or directly to God the Father," said Rich, "But why do you pray to the Virgin Mary? I believe some Protestants call it 'Mariolatry'."

"That's quite a controversial one with a relatively simple answer." said Angela, "We pray directly to God the Father or God the Son, but we pray to Our Lady for her to intercede for us, that is to pray for us on our behalf. The same applies to prayers directed to the Saints. Have you ever actually considered the words of the 'Hail Mary? You probably know it, from your knowledge of classical music, as 'Ave Maria'."

"I can't say that I have." said Rich, "I do know the words, but I've never thought deeply about them."

"The first part of the prayer is taken directly from the Gospel accounts of the Archangel Gabriel's appearance to Mary and her subsequent visit to her cousin Elizabeth." said Angela, "The second part of the prayer asks Our Lady to 'pray for us sinners to the Lord, our God'."

"That explanation does make a lot of sense." said Rich, "I suppose it's a bit like asking a mother to talk to her son about some tricky subject."

"That's exactly it." said Angela, "You seem to have accepted quite an important facet of Catholic doctrine."

This conversation continued, covering various subjects, until the coach reached Kalwaria. Once everyone was off the coach, they were guided to the basilica and the part this place held in Karol Wojtyla's early clerical life was explained. They were then shown round the site. Although it had been a physically exhausting day, everyone felt spiritually uplifted by what they had seen and heard. After being dropped off at their hotel, Rich, Angela and their parents enjoyed a short rest before returning to the centre of Krakow for dinner. Rich was beginning to feel confident about Angela's feelings towards him. As a result, he felt an inward serenity that he had never felt before, not even with Grace. It could have been that the spirituality of the place had affected him at a very deep level.

It was starting to occur to him that, despite her verbally aggressive attack when they first met, his future might lay with his 'Angel of Death', Angela De'Ath. He was now hoping that Grace had found a new happiness with Gavin, and that Gavin's temperament had become calmer. He slept peacefully that night.


	4. Chapter 4: Oskar Shindler and Homecoming

**Chapter 4: Oskar Schindler, The Black Madonna and Homecoming**

Since Thursday was to be the most physically exhausting day of the whole 'holiday', everyone made sure they had a full breakfast. The two small families were to spend the whole day walking around various parts of Krakow. The first call, after breakfast was to the booking agent where they had arranged their previous excursions. Anton booked six places on one of that afternoon's walking tours of the Jewish quarter and Oskar Schindler's factory. This also included admission to the Synagogue. This, of course, set a time frame for their lunch. Once they had booked their afternoon activities, they headed down to the river and strolled along the bank for a while before heading towards Wawel Castle. They arrived just as an English-speaking guide was assembling a group to walk around the buildings. Although they were not part of the group, they tagged along, staying within earshot of the guide. It did help that he had a particularly penetrating voice, so they could hear every word. He explained that the castle was commissioned by King Casimir III and was the largest castle in Poland. He also explained Krakow's role as the capital of the country. While guiding the group he also talked about the various different architectural styles displayed around the site, and the chequered history of the human occupation of Wawel Hill from the Middle Ages to the present day.

By the time the two families had finished following the tour group round Wawel Castle, midday was approaching. Once again Anton was asked to locate an eatery nearby where they could have lunch. This time he took them to a restaurant close to the castle and near to the assembly point for the walk around the Jewish Quarter. Since it was just on twelve o'clock when they arrived, they were quickly found a table for six.

Rich and Grace perused the menu, which had several tempting and substantial dishes on it.

"I know this is education, but we are on holiday." said Angela as she decided on one of the meat dishes.

Rich, completely independently chose the same dish. After a short while, the food arrived.

"Did you two co-ordinate your orders?" asked Kevin, "You're eating the same food as each other again."

"No." said Rich, "We just happened to order the same thing. You should try it. It's delicious."

"There does seem to be a connection developing between you two." commented Anton, "You've even ordered the same lunch."

"That was pure coincidence." said Angela. "I guess our tastes in food are very similar."

Once they had finished off the meal with desserts and coffee, and made themselves comfortable, it was nearly time to stroll towards the meeting place for the walking tour of Krakow's Jewish Quarter.

"I hope we can all still walk after that repast." commented Anton, "That place is good value, but the portions are not exactly small."

"I think this will be a stroll rather than a route march." said Rich, "After all, as you said when you booked it, it caters for all ages. I guess we'll be avoiding meat tomorrow, it being Friday."

"Also, we'll be having lunch at a place organised by the coach operator." said Kevin, "We'll be in Częstochowa this time tomorrow."

"I hope there's a good chippy there." said Rich, somewhat irreverently.

Angela smiled. She knew that Rich was joking.

"I don't think they go in for chip shops here." said Anton, smirking, "Fish and chips is a somewhat British thing."

They met their guide by the nearest part of the riverside to the Jewish quarter and walked into the area. As they were shown round, the guide explained the history of the Jews in Europe, up to the Nazi invasion with particular reference to Poland and Krakow. They then visited the factory, which, at the time of the German occupation was run by Oskar Schindler. The guide explained his part in employing Jews and protecting them from the SS. Although he was a member of the Nazi Party, he managed to save over 1,200 Jewish people from the concentration camps by the simple expedient of moving his entire workforce to a new factory in the Sudetenland, which was to become part of Czechoslovakia. As a result of this, the guide mentioned, he was honoured by the Jewish people and is the only member of the Nazi Party to be buried on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. The afternoon's activities concluded with a visit to one of the synagogues in that quarter of Krakow. Following a well-deserved dinner after all that walking, Rich, Angela and their parents spent the rest of the evening in a bar, quietly drinking and discussing what they had seen and heard that day, particularly the role of Oskar Schindler in the rescue of 1,200 Jews. Although the day had given them a lot to think about, they slept well in the knowledge that they had a couple of long coach journeys the next day.

The whole of Friday was taken up with the day excursion to Częstochowa. They were to see one of the most famous icons of Western Christianity, a picture of the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus. After their breakfast, the two families assembled in the hotel foyer. Shortly, the coach arrived and collected them for the journey. They selected six seats in three pairs, with Angela's parents in front, Rich's at the back and the two young people in between. Once they were under way, and the guide had explained the day's timetable, the passengers were left to relax for the rest of the journey. As they approached Częstochowa, the guide started to describe the history of the icon, how it was believed to have been discovered by St Helena in the fourth century. He also mentioned that there is a story that it was created by St Luke himself on a cedar table top in our Lord's home. What was undisputed was that it was severely damaged by the Hussites in 1430 and that complete restoration proved impossible. A striking feature of the picture was the two scars the Hussites left on Our Lady's cheek, which could not be covered up because of the nature of the materials used in the original paintwork.

Once the tour group had arrived in Częstochowa, they were taken into the precincts of the Jasna Góra monastery. They were escorted found the buildings with the guide describing monastic life. They eventually reached the basilica and joined the queue to view the Black Madonna icon. Silence was expected and no-one spoke above a whisper. When they eventually saw the icon, it was Rich, who made a comment.

"Those scars on the Virgin's cheek look almost like tear tracks." he whispered.

"Perhaps that's why they couldn't be repaired." whispered Angela, "That was remarkably perceptive of you."

After their visit to the Black Madonna shrine they enjoyed a light, late lunch at a local restaurant before joining the coach for their return journey to Krakow by a different route. On the coach, they discussed what they had seen in Częstochowa.

"I think that picture had quite an effect on you." said Angela, "You looked so thoughtful when you were looking at it and, apart from that comment about the tear tracks, you've been very quiet since."

"Yes, it did." said Rich, "That picture is at least 1,700 years old and may even date right back to the time of Christ. It's been through a lot in the intervening centuries. I'm not sure I believe the story about it being painted by St Luke himself, but that is a possibility."

"One of the stories about the scars is that they were made by a Hussite swordsman who was trying to destroy the picture," said Anton, "But he was struck dead before he could strike a third time."

"It seems the picture has almost supernatural powers." said Rich, "It certainly have me an unfamiliar feeling."

"That's a remarkable admission from someone who used to think he was following 'the music of the Devil'." said Angela.

"It is." said Rich, "Meeting you out here, has transformed me. My whole outlook on life seems to be changing."

"In what way?" asked Angela.

"Everything seems brighter somehow." said Rich, "I seem to be able to see a way ahead. I no longer regard next Monday's meeting with dread, and I feel I've found a genuine friend in you."

"Despite what happened when we first met?" remarked Angela.

"That's dead and buried in the past." said Rich, "We've forgiven each other. Neither of us is the person the other imagined them to be last October. We really prejudged each other, and were so wrong. You've shown yourself to be a sweet, gentle, accommodating, affectionate person, and you've not so much penetrated as demolished my defences."

"And you've turned out to be an interesting and intelligent young man, who thinks and feels deeply about things." said Angela, "What's so good, is that our cultural tastes seem to be very similar. Incidentally, you sent another postcard to Alo when we visited the Basilica of Divine Mercy. What did you say on it?"

"Only that my 'Angel of Death' had become my 'Angel of Life'." said Rich.

"That's so lovely!" said Angela, smiling, and kissed Rich's cheek, "It's becoming plain to me that I mean more to you than just an acquaintance, you've chanced to meet on holiday."

"You're a lot more to me than that." said Rich, "I really believe we've discovered each other. I know I shouldn't be asking this, but can I think of you as my girlfriend?"

"Of course you can," said Angela, "If your feelings are genuine and true. I was beginning to think along those lines about you before we left Nürnburg."

"Thank you!" said Rich, "It seems we feel the same way about each other. Incidentally, on another completely different subject, have you given any thought to what you're going to do after college?"

"If I get good 'A' levels," said Angela, "I'm hoping to go up to Cambridge University. And you?"

"I've already started the application process." said Rich, "It now depends on my results at the end of the year."

At this juncture, the coach halted for a while for a 'comfort stop'. Rich and Angela took advantage of the fact that the vehicle was stationary to stand up and seal their decision about their relationship with a proper kiss. Rich did feel slightly guilty about this PDA, but realised that, with the arrival in the group of Gavin, his relationship with Grace would probably be a lost cause anyway.

"It appears that you two have decided your future might lie with each other." said Anton, "I've no objections. You do appear to be a couple completely in tune with each other."

The group returned to the city of Krakow in the late afternoon. This left time for some packing before a fish dinner. They managed to order, with Anton's help something coming close to British 'fish and chips'. Thus fortified, they strolled round the centre of Krakow for a while Before, as on the previous evening, Anton found a reasonably quiet bar for their evening discussion over drinks. The day's 'pilgrimage' to Częstochowa had given Rich a lot of food for thought. He was quite quiet for the first part of the evening. This did not pass unnoticed.

"Are you okay?" asked Angela, "You've been very quiet since dinner."

"I was thinking." said Rich.

"What about?" asked Angela.

I was thinking about life, beliefs, religion and my own faith, or lack of it." said Rich.

"That's very deep." said Angela, "Have you come to any conclusions yet?"

"After growing up through a desert of unbelief and doubt, even dabbling in the Satanic side of things at times," said Rich, "I'm beginning to believe that, about 2,000 years ago, there was actually a man called Jesus, who set out the moral code and basis in faith that we call Christianity, and that he sacrificed his own life to save humanity. I'm also just beginning to believe that his conception was, to say the least, unusual, hence the devotion to his mother, Mary. I'm also coming to believe he was indeed God's own son."

"Wow!" exclaimed Angela, "You really have been thinking. No wonder you've been so quiet. I was beginning to think I'd upset you somehow."

"It's nothing like that." said Rich, "You haven't upset me, but you have upturned my whole attitude to life. You, no doubt, remember me saying, when we were on the coach, that everything seemed brighter somehow."

"I do remember that." said Angela.

"I'm starting to really believe that the 'brightness' could be the light of Christ showing me the way ahead." said Rich.

"What have you two suddenly started talking about?" asked Anton. "You've both been so quiet since we arrived in this bar."

"I believe Rich has had a 'road to Damascus' moment." said Angela, "He's been thinking very deeply about what he's seen in and around Krakow, particularly the "Black Madonna' icon that we saw today."

"That's wonderful!" interjected Kevin, "We've been worried about his beliefs, or lack of them, ever since he started deafening himself with that heavy metal music. Grace persuaded him that metal music wasn't the whole world, but that left him adrift with very little to believe in. I think Grace's influence was both good and bad for him. Incidentally, Richard, how are things with Grace?"

"If I hadn't found such a true companion in Angela," said Rich, "That would have been rather a sore subject. Let's put it this way. Grace has struck up a very close friendship with a new guy from Cardiff. I have no doubt that he's been capitalising on that friendship in my absence."

"What makes you think that?" asked Kevin.

"All the while I was hung over and semi-conscious in the plane back from Morocco," said Rich, "Gavin, that's the new guy, was engaged in a heart-to-heart conversation with Grace. It's clear that she has a calming effect on him, and finds him attractive. I'm seeing them on Monday, and I expect we'll be explaining our new relationships to each other. If I hadn't found Angela, I would have been dreading the meeting."

Rich gave Angela a tender cuddle. They looked into each other's eyes, kissed and smiled.

"I guess that's for the best." said Kevin, "So, what began as a somewhat abrasive meeting last October, has developed, over the last couple of weeks, into a probable future relationship. That can only be good."

"I think you've impressed my dad." said Rich, "I can see a bright future for us if all goes as hoped on Monday."

"When you meet with Grace on Monday," said Angela, "Would you like me to come?"

"Of course!" said Rich, "I expect Grace will be with Gavin, also Alo and Mini will be there."

"What will they be there for?" asked Angela.

"To try to mediate between us if things go 'pear shaped'." said Rich.

"Is that likely?" asked Angela.

"Not now that I've got such a good thing going with you." said Rich, "As I said earlier, I see a bright future for us and I don't dread the meeting any more. Right now, I'm feeling really happy and totally at peace with the world."

With this, the group left the bar and headed back to their hotel for their last night in Poland. In the morning, after breakfast, they finished packing and checked out. They were allocated a safe place to leave their luggage.

They spent the remainder of the morning having a last look around central Krakow. They visited one or two of the smaller Catholic Churches in the city before Anton found a restaurant where they could enjoy lunch. After this it was time to collect their bags and arrange a minibus taxi to take them all to the airport.

Before they left the UK, Rich had arranged for Alo to pick them up. Once they reached the gate. He texted Alo to confirm the expected on-time departure of the flight. He also asked how many people could be seated in the vehicle. On receiving the reply, that there were three seats across the front and another four in the back, he offered a lift to their home for Angela and her parents, since, fortuitously they lived only about a quarter of a mile from Rich's home. Alo confirmed that he would be happy to take them.

The flight back to Bristol was uneventful. Angela and Rich spent most of it in deep conversation about what they had learned about each other, only pausing to have a look downwards at the ground when there was a break in the clouds.

Once they had passed through the formalities of Passport Control, baggage reclaim and customs, Rich and Angela led the way, as Rich would definitely recognise the tall ginger headed figure of Alo. As they emerged into the arrival funnel, the pair were glancing around, looking into each other's eyes, and grinning like Cheshire cats. Alo saw them before they saw him. He intercepted them.

"Wow!" exclaimed Alo, "You two really do look like a couple. When did you meet each other?"

"On the first Tuesday in Nürnburg." said Rich, "We've really got to know each other since then. We think of ourselves as a couple now."

By this time, the two pairs of parents had caught up with their offspring and the group of seven were led by Alo out to the car park to board his van. Rich and Angela sat in the front, while their parents made themselves comfortable in the seats Alo had installed in the back of the vehicle. On the way, Alo updated Rich and Angela on the state of the developing friendship between Gavin and Grace. As he explained the situation, it became abundantly clear that a permanent change of partners had taken place. Grace was now Gavin's girlfriend and, on present showing, Alo commented, it looked as if Angela was now Rich's girlfriend. Thus, a chance meeting following a joking remark about a plastic duck had changed the course of four lives.


End file.
